Corset



UNrra PATENT Farce,

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,594, dated March29, 1882,

Application filed January 21, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES N. GHAnwIoK, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, llfWG invented a new Improvement inCorsets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in commotionwith ac companying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front view, one side showing the breast as open, the otherclosed; Fig. 2, a front view of the steels or clasps detached; Figs. 3and 4, modification.

This invention relates to animprovementin that class of corsets in whichthe breast portions are made to be opened or closed, commonly callednursing-corsets.

Various devices have been applied by which the breast portions may beopened and still preserve the usual corset shape and support; but thatpart of the corset which is removable usually hangs like a flap from apoint above or below, and is in the way and inconvenient, so much so asto be but little used.

The object of this invention is to simplify the construction, make theopening easily accessible, and the cover out of the way when open; andit consists in pivoting to the busks respectively a short arm which willlie upon the busks at the upper end or form a continuation of them, andso that the breastor gored part of the corset, the front edge of whichis attached to the pivoted arm, may be turned away respectively to theright or left and downward, exposing the breast, as more fullyhereinafter described.

A and B represent a pair of busks, of usual construction, provided withclasps for attachment one to the other, and inserted into the meetingedges of the corset in the usual man ner. it

Near the upper end, or above the waist-line, an arm, 0, is attached toeach of the busks by a pivot, D, so as to turn on the busks to the rightor left in a plane substantially parallel with the upper part of thebusks. At their upper end they are provided with means for engaging themwith the busks proper, so that when turned up, as at the right in Fig.2, the fastening device will engage the arm with the busks, as at E. ormay be released therefrom, so as to be turned away, as at the leftinFig. 2.

The corset is cut in substantially the usual manner. The breastportion Fat the front edge is attached to the arm G, and so that when the armwith the breast portion is turned to close the breast-opening, as at theright in Fig. 1, the corset has the usual appearance and affords theusual support for the breast; but when released from its engagement thearm is turned away, as at the left in Fig. 1, and with the breastportion of the corset is turned downward, so as to expose the breastthrough the opening, which covers it when turned up. This 1 brings thefastening device at the upper front center ofthe corset in the mostconvenient place for disengaging or fastening, hence does not afford anyinconvenience, as experienced in previous constructions secured at somepoint back from the front center.

Across the corset-opening at the top I prefer to extend a band, G, whichconnects the corset from one side of the breast to the center and overthe breast, which, to a great extent, takes the strain from the claspwhich secures the detachable portion. In this case a spring maybeapplied,asbetween the pivoted armand the stationary part of the steel,as seen in Fig. 3, the tendency of which will be to draw "the arm intoits closed position, yet permit it to be opened. 1, however, prefer arigid fastening.

Instead of making the busks of the full length, as shown in Fig. 2, theymay be shorter, stopping at the pivot, as seen in Fig. 4, the arms 0 0extending up and forming a continuation and completion of the busks, theupper clasp serving to secure the two together. In this case it is onlynecessary to disengage the clasp and turn the corset back from the rightor left breast, as desired.

Arms 0 C may be pivoted below the waistline and extended down to thebottom, there attached to the respective busks by a spring, as seen inFig. 3, the front edges of the corset attached to the arms respectively,so that while the busks proper will afford the usual. support,

the lower part of the corset will be elastic and readily yield to themovement of the body in breathing, walking, 850.

I claim- A corset having the busks A B, extending from the top to thebottom of the corset, secured in the front meeting edges, combined witharms G O, pivoted to the busks, the front edge of the breast portion ofthe corset at- 10 tached to said arms, and so as to turn with the saidarm upon its pivot away from and so as to expose the breast, with theband G, extending from the side above the breast-opening at the top tothe back, substantially as described.

OHARLES N. GHADWIOK.

